Nationality American Name Violette Anderson | Occupation lawyer | |
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Born July 16, 1882 ( 1882-07-16 ) London, England Known for First female African American law school graduate in the state of Illinois. First African American woman to practice law at the United States Supreme Court. Parent(s) Richard and Marie Neatley Died 1937, Chicago, Illinois, United States Alma mater University of Chicago Law School | ||
Violette Neatley Anderson (1882–1937) was the first female African American law school graduate in the state of Illinois. On January 29, 1926, she became the first African American woman to practice law at the United States Supreme Court.
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Early life
Violette Neatley Anderson was born in London, England, in 1882, to a German mother and a West Indian father. She moved to Chicago with her family as a small child.
Education and career
Anderson graduated from North Division High School in 1899 and attended Chicago Athenaeum. Her interest in law began when she worked as a court reporter from 1905 to 1920. She attended Chicago Seminar of Sciences between 1912 and 1915 and went on to receive her LL.B. from Chicago Law School in 1920, making her the first woman to graduate from any law school in Illinois.
Anderson opened her own private practice after graduating. She went on to serve as the first female City Prosecutor for Chicago from 1922 to 1923. In 1926, she was the first Black woman to be admitted to practice for the Supreme Court of the United States.
Group membership
Anderson was a member of the Federal Colored Women's Clubs and the League of Women Voters. She served as president of Friendly Big Sisters League of Chicago, first vice-president of Cook County Bar Association, and secretary of the Idlewild Lot Owners Association. She also served as an executive board member of the Chicago Council of Social Agencies.
She is known for her work with the sorority Zeta Phi Beta. She was a member and was the 8th Grand Basileus. She donated her summer home in Idlewild to the sorority. The organization recognizes her every year in the month of April on "Violette Anderson Day."